The OSU Buckeyes were the first in the Big Ten with a 2021 class recruit with the commitment of Kalen Etzler in May. Etzler, led Crestview HS to the Division IV championship last year, and tweeted his verbal commitment to Chris Holtmann a little over a month ago.

Etzler is a 6'8", 195 lbs. forward from Crestview (Knights), Ohio. He is rated as a 4 star prospect, 2nd in the state and 51st overall in the nation.

Other Offers

The Buckeyes beat out offers from Miami (Ohio), Bowling Green, and Duquesne. His brother plays for the Miami RedHawks.

Buckeye fever runs through the Etzler blood, his uncle Doug was a Buckeye basketball team member in the early 1990’s for four years. Doug became the head coach of Crestview days before Kalen became a future Buckeye. He has two years of high school before coming to Columbus.

His Potential

He is a big man that is versatile and has a high ceiling. Etzler will be a stretch four at Ohio State. He’s tall and can defend inside, and his athletic ability will allow him to score at the rim.

His three point shooting is solid and he likes to take outside shots from different locations. Coach Holtmann is looking for tall players that can shoot and has found one in Etzler.

Kalen Etzler (Convoy Crestview) 6'8 PF 2021 vs. Minster - 1/20/19